Fall From Grace
by GobletLight
Summary: Anowene, a Forsaken Priestess of the Cult of Forgotten Shadow, is struggling to claw her way out of the darkness. Her need to embrace the Light has brought some unexpected challenges. And the Cult is not so easy to brush aside.
1. Chapter 1

Fall from Grace

 _ **From the personal journal of Anowene Amatarsu**_

 _I woke in the tomb where I was laid to rest. I don't know how long I had been dead, or even what killed me. For the longest time, I remained there, immobile, my mind alive but my body unmoving, struggling to remember who I was and the life I once had. All I could determine was that I had once been human._

 _After clawing my way out of my grave, I found myself torn between Light and Dark. My teachers told me that I was a priest, but that the Dark path was the only choice for me. So, I obeyed them…for a time. I manipulated the minds of the creatures I sought to destroy and wielded my dark power against them._

 _For many seasons, I journeyed from the ruins of the once mighty Lordaeron to "help" my brethren in the struggle. I was at the bidding of Thrall and his people and even found myself in the company of the treacherous Blood Elves, one of whom became my closest friend._

 _However, from the moment I woke so long ago, there was a glimmer of light in the back of my mind. And the more I struggled to contain it, the more alluring it became._

 _I made the mistake of confessing as much to my teacher during my session deep in the bowels of the Undercity. It was then that I was taken to Deathknell where I was to be "instructed" and brought into the Cult of the Forgotten Shadow._

Anowene strode briskly through Silvermoon, mumbling angrily to herself. Young inhabitants of the pristine city moved quickly to get out of her way, though she couldn't ever be sure if it was because of her determined stride or her rotting flesh. After turning a corner and almost running down one of the pompous guards, she found the inn where she was to meet Caryn.

"I was weak!" Anowene stormed at Caryn, who raised her eyebrows slightly as she lounged on the cushions in the small corner of the inn. The innkeeper glanced warily at the pair, eyes narrowing at the sight of the Forsaken.

"And what exactly does that mean?" she drawled back, her boredom evident in her tone. Caryn lifted a dainty hand to brush some stray locks of deep red hair from her porcelain face, her hand finally coming to rest lovingly on the large mace by her side.

With her head bowed and eyes closed, Anowene took a deep breath and continued, "They said I was too weak to ascend when my human life died Caryn." A look of puzzlement crossed Caryn's face. "They said," Anowene explained, "that this….this thing that I became is a curse because of my weakness."

"And you believe that crap?" asked Caryn in a laughing voice.

"I…I don't know….," Anowene faltered, her mind racing.

"What exactly did they tell you Anow?" asked Caryn.

Anowene paused for a moment, remembering the feeling of belonging she felt upon entering the church in Deathknell surrounded by others, like herself, struggling to find their place within the remains of the teachings of the Holy Light. They had embraced her fully into the cult, ready for her to say the word and she would become a Lightslayer, a zealot in loathe of the Holy Light and all it stood for. They wanted her to be alone in her journeys, but still a part of the cult. They wanted her totally and completely, and to do that she had to leave her world and friends behind her.

"They said they could help me be strong again," Anowene whispered before turning silently away from her friend.

 _ **From the personal journal of Anowene Amatarsu**_

 _I've thought long and hard about the Cult and its goals. Wouldn't it be wonderful to be part of something? It took Caryn hours to calm me down about this whole thing and persuade me to think more rationally._

 _Anyhow, back to the issue at hand. Apparently I missed the invitation to join our religion. Because from what I've learned, all Forsaken join this religion early in their lives. Or maybe most would be a better word. I've spent some time sitting in the library reading up on this. It was a bit tricky getting the Scarlet to leave me alone. But after I killed enough of them, they let me sit at one of the tables in peace._

 _So, here's my problem. I like to heal, to use my power for good. But the Cult of Forgotten Shadow doesn't want me to heal. Indeed, they'd prefer that I not use any spells of Holy Light at all. There are mostly other priests there, so I felt an immediate kinship. But they seem bitter and resentful of our fate. Admittedly, I was pretty upset too when I discovered exactly what I had become. I still don't know what I want to do about the Cult. I need to keep thinking about this a little longer._

 _Now if I could only figure out a way to keep my robes from tearing on my bony elbows…_

It was several days later, when Anowene and Caryn had an opportunity to talk again. They had just returned to the Undercity after defending Sepulcher from an Alliance attack. Their friends had to endure their squabbling all the way from Silverpine Forest. Anowene glared at her friend, "What do you mean I have to change? Why can't I keep being the way I am? Why the hell does everyone want me to change?"

"Anow," sighed Caryn, "you're undead. You know you really shouldn't be using holy spells. You left your human life behind long ago and you still can't embrace your darker side."

"You know what they say Caryn," said Anowene in an accusatory tone. "They say it's addictive. I don't want to be drawn to that type of power. I'm content to use my spells to do good, to heal and protect."

And with that Anowene turned and stormed off, her bony toes clicking briskly on the stone walkways of the Undercity.


	2. Chapter 2

Fall From Grace

Chapter 2

Anowene often found walking to be the best way to think. And this situation certainly needed to be thought over. Her frustration and anger subsided as she wound her way through the catacombs and up to the courtyard of the once beautiful Lordaeron. She paused for a moment, looking around at the ruins surrounding her, the whispers of the death of King Terenas lingering in her ears. With a sigh, she shook her head and kept walking.

It was evening when she found herself again at the Scarlet Monastery. She smirked to herself as she strode through the halls, the faithful eyeing her warily. Anowene quickly found the tomes she had been reading a few days earlier, sat down and pulled parchment and quill from her satchel. She tried _Compendium of the Fallen_ first; it seemed promising. Quill poised, ready to take notes, she read;

 _The Lich King's plan worked perfectly. Many of Lordaeron's northern villages were contaminated almost immediately. Just as in Northrend, the citizens who contracted the plague died and arose as the Lich King's willing slaves._

This wasn't at all what she was looking for. "Bah!" she shouted, startling the Wizard sitting at the table across from hers. He turned and glared at her for disturbing him. For just a moment, it appeared that he was considering confronting her and began to stand. His eyes grew wide and he sat down again quickly when he saw her hand move to the staff lying across the table. She gave an audible chuckle and waved at the wizard before returning to her research.

Anowene searched book after book, to no avail. The library had emptied, only a few people remained now. The wizard at the table across from hers had fallen asleep on his books and was snoring enthusiastically. She laughed softly and turned her attention back to the issue at hand. There seemed to be no information here about the Cult of Forgotten Shadow. Heaving another sigh, she reached for the last book she pulled from the stacks, _The First War._ She skimmed the text, hoping to find something, but not really expecting any results.

Another hour passed and a bleary eyed Anowene packed up the remaining book and her notes and quietly rose from the table to head home. "I'll bring the book back next week," she mumbled to the acolyte at the door and left the library.

 _ **From the personal journal of Anowene Amatarsu  
**_ _I had my first meeting with Aelthalyste this morning and it was…interesting. From what I've learned, the Cult has no true leader, but they hold Aelthalyste as something of a figurehead. She's a banshee and I'm curious as to why this Cult made up of mostly Forsaken have chosen her to represent their religion. I say 'their' because I still don't feel much of a kinship with my own kind, though they're trying to change that quickly. She seemed reluctant to answer a lot of my questions about the origin of the Cult, which makes me even more wary. She did mention something about a Bishop Seline in passing. I'll need to look into that further._

 _From what I can gather, I am to become a Lightslayer at the next new moon. I'm not sure how to get out of this. I have a few weeks to figure it out though. At the beginning, they said I would have a choice, but that doesn't seem to be true now._

 _She spoke of the three main virtues; respect, tenacity, and power. There are others, but I honestly couldn't bother myself to pay much attention after she mentioned the ritual binding me as a Lightslayer. Her excitement was barely containable as she told me that I would have a suitable sacrifice to kill. Of course, it would be a priest or paladin of the Light. And she hinted that it might be someone close to me, to bind me to the Cult. Great. That's just great. What a bunch of zealots._

 _I've made my decision for now. I can't stop using holy spells._

Anowene loved the bright colors of Silvermoon, it was really one of her favorite places and where she made her home. She had a rented room overlooking the Bazaar and it was her one place of sanctuary. It was sparsely furnished, with just a bed and a table and chairs. The walls, however, were overflowing with books and scrolls on shelves. More scrolls were tucked away in corners and stacks of books so tall, they looked as though they would topple with the slightest breeze. On the table sat an open book, propped up by a plate with the remnants of her lunch; a half eaten apple and a wedge of cheese. The only decoration was a vase of flowering herbs she picked earlier the day before.

She had taken a break from her research into the mysterious Bishop Seline and was watching the bustle of the city below from her window. A quiet knock on her door announced a visitor and Caryn stuck her head into Anowene's room a moment later. "Anow," she said quickly, "we need your expertise. There's a scourge invasion just outside of Dalaran."

Anowene smiled broadly, "Finally, something to take my mind off of all this. I'm coming."


	3. Chapter 3

Fall From Grace

Chapter 3

The air was already thick with the stench of death as the group of friends arrived at Crusaders' Pinnacle. The scene before them was one of chaos. Bodies of the scourge and forces of the Horde and the Argent Crusade were strewn about the incline leading up to the Pinnacle. Ghouls of all sizes were attacking the small Argent Crusade base on the border of Icecrown, with more lined up ready to attack at the bottom of the hill. And by the looks of things, the scourge had an unlimited supply, because they just kept coming. There was a large force already working to prevent the scourge from reaching the top of the hill. All of them looked exhausted and battle worn.

A stone tower dominated the small ledge that overlooked a valley crawling with scourge of all kinds. The valley looked like some kind of outpost for the Lich King, though the buildings had the look of the Nerubians about them. There were several small tents beside the tower, this was definitely a small foothold, but from the looks of things, a necessary one for the Argent Crusade. The familiar banners of white, trimmed in black, with the glowing, gold circle framed by a black star were prominently displayed on the tower and standards surrounding the area.

Anowene dismounted and pulled out her staff; it was her favorite for what she intended to do, two smaller marbled staves held together in the middle with divine enchantments, topped with a white hooded figurehead, golden wings and an enchanted halo. She took a quick glance at Caryn, knowing full well that this choice of weapon would speak volumes about what she intended to do here today. Tirion Fordring's bellow rang out as Anowene and her friends prepared themselves to join the fray, "Put your faith in the Light, and all is possible!" and she felt a surge of emotion rise inside her.

Most of her friends rushed forward, to meet the scourge toe-to-toe, Caryn included. As Anowene looked around at who was left, she noted the pretty blonde Blood Elf close by already healing the wounded from behind the lines. Vndetta glanced her way and smiled, "Glad you're helping keep everyone alive today, Anowene. We definitely need you." Anowene returned Vndetta's smile and went to work healing her friends and comrades. The two of them worked together with the other healers to cover everyone as best they could, shouting to each other over the din of fighting, helping redirect where more heals were needed and offering each other much needed breaks for mana.

After what felt like hours, Tirion Fordring called an end to the battle; the scourge had given up for now, most of them retreating into the Nerubian buildings below. Anowene's head was pounding in pain from the effort needed to maintain holy spells for so much time, but with it came a sense of deep satisfaction and feeling of camaraderie. She and the other healers made their way through the fighters, healing those who still needed help. When they finished, they found their own place to rest, off to the side of the rest of the group. There were only four of them, though it felt like they had done the work of twenty or more. Nyda passed a bag of apples around, grinning, "I picked them from myself while I was healing! They should be pretty good." Pipsqueaks snorted into her moonberry juice and then said laughingly, "That's the worst one yet, Nyda."

The four of them made an unlikely group; Nyda, a tauren druid, could often be found standing next to Applebough in Dalaran, trying to sell her wares in tree form. As silly as she could be, she was also an excellent healer. Her face had a gentle look, only her eyes betraying how much she had already been through before coming to Northrend.

Pipsqueaks was a sassy little goblin shaman, her pleasant, green face framed by black pigtails that stuck straight out from the sides of her head. Her eyes twinkled with curiosity, and lacked the hardness found in most of her race. Her giggles were infectious and healing made her laugh the most. She found the idea of healing by dumping water on someone's head with Riptide very amusing indeed, and you could often hear her giggles in middle of a fight as a result.

Vndetta, the blood elf paladin, on the other hand, was very serious. She had the delicate frame of most blood elves and always seemed to keep her composure, regardless of the circumstances. Her perfectly cut and styled blonde hair, along with her pale complexion, was a sharp contrast to the dark, heavy plate armor and Blood Knight tabard she wore. She was a warrior for the Light and member of the Blood Knights, fiercely loyal to Silvermoon and friend of Lady Liadrin. A hint of a smile played around her mouth, giving away a hearty sense of humor if one looked closely enough.

And finally, there was Anowene, awkward and hunched over, dangerously thin and characteristically skeletal. Her face, however, was almost untouched by her death; it was clear from the blemishes and rot that many of her kind experienced. Her eyes were clear, bright, and kind.

It was into this group that Caryn wandered and found a place to sit. "Anu belore dela'na", she said in greeting. Nyda and Pipsqueaks looked at her with wide eyes, while Vndetta responded with a slight nod of her head and, "Anar'alah." Anowene just waited, she had an idea of what was coming next.

 _ **From the personal journal of Anowene Amatarsu**_  
 _It only took a few minutes before Caryn launched into me about using spells of the holy light after the battle at the Pinnacle. I thought she was my friend, but she seems adamant that I join the Cult. She seems too eager and focused on the amount of power the cult will be able to give me. I feel like there's something else at play there. She doesn't seem at all concerned that I don't want to do this._

 _It was otherwise a pretty good day. We took out a good number of the Lich King's army and I got to spend the day with my healer friends. They didn't question my ability and seemed like they were really happy to see me there. After Caryn left, Nyda asked me about the headache I had from healing. When I told her that using holy spells caused me some pain and that the headache was a result of that, she gave me a dreamless sleep potion. She said she wasn't sure if it would help, but that I should try it and let her know._


End file.
